Motorhome-Mercedes content.

[Royale80]

That Merc would be ideal if you're not in a hurry, or you're a fan of sticking a golf club into an olympic sized swimming pool full of wet cement and trying to find a gear.Sounds like 

Sounds like a few women I've known.

 

The more I read about them the more I want one.

 

I owned one exactly the same.

 

Fucking. Brilliant.

 

No other words. Perfectly drivable, good bed overhead and comfy AF throughout.

 

Buy.

 

Sounds like perfect accommodation for Shitefest-just take a week to get there.

 

Thanks all.

 

Steve

[cms206]

I had a 16 year old 207D. Got a tug from the Met and sent to weighbridge. 10kg over on front, 20% on rear. Overall just under 17% over and just short of getting a ticket. I only had two pallets in the back.

 

When asked "did you not notice it being slower than usual?", I replied "it's always this slow"

Had the misfortune of a LWB Sprinter 308D which was chronic enough, a 207D must be soul destroying.

 

That said I did manage to cram 48 people into a 29-seat Merc 709D minibus on a particularly busy journey and other than needing first to pull away uphill rather than second it didn't really get any slower either.

 

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[Eddie Honda]

The 207 is soul destroying, I used mine for courier work and also to get back up to Helensburgh from High Wycombe a couple of times. Shap? Beattock? Grim. But the it was worse than a marathon runner hitting the wall trying to get up the hill on the M40 south to Stokenchurch.

 

Only positive was Class IV MOT. I flogged it to a mate who ran it a short while before scrapping it. He replaced it with a M reg 208D which was a bawhair better.

[Wack]

Steve my mechanic used to look after a mercedes camper like the one on the first post, it was up there a few times over the years, then one day, just the chassis with no body on it

 

I assumed rust had killed it, but no

 

The guy had had it for years, took it to cornwall and got pulled into the services on the M5 for a check, they took the number off the body and found it was stolen, about 10 years before he bought it , chassis was OK, unbelievably they got somebody in at the services to take the body off and let him carry on with just the chassis.

 

so my advice would be check both before parting with any money

[Guest]

Don't be fooled that it's only older campers that leak and rot. I've had my eyes opened since I started working on these for a living and have seen some of the carnage on 50k+ motorhomes at 3 or 4 years old...  Pains me to say this, but I wouldn't entertain ANY UK built motorhome.. unless it was one of the older fully fibreglass Autosleepers- they're brilliant.

 

Mercs? The rust is unbelieveable.. I have a Vito which I turned into a wee camper. I've welded it and welded it. Body rust was rubbed right back, treated properly,primed and painted over. It comes back within a few weeks- never had anything like it. The 207's I used to drive for work were so noisy they were always the last things to be left in the car park- all the lads used to sprint for the LDV's!

[DodgeRover]

Barry do you get any salvage caravans in? Or know if they are worth bothering with?

Mrs DodgeRover wants to upgrade from our ageing Eldiss to something with fixed bunks.

Apparently I am forbidden from buying anything with chrome or ali panels showing so a elderly Vickers or Buccaneer are right out, ditto a modern Hobby just because we don't need grief rocking up in one to a site we've not stayed at before.

 

Even newish vans we have looked at need work so I might as well go in eyes open for something that needs repairing.

[mat_the_cat]

Had the misfortune of a LWB Sprinter 308D which was chronic enough, a 207D must be soul destroying.

 

A mate of mine over in Germany has this 406D - I dread to think what that's like fully loaded.

 

 

He's even towed a car and trailer with it, through the Vosges Mountains! Brave man.

[Des]

Those old Merc vans certainly wouldn't be my first choice for such activities as giving it the big one at the lights, unless challenging the odd mobility scooter / hoverboard, and definitely not for fly-tipping or stealing scrap where a swift exit might be needed, but as a camper, what's the big hurry? Used for their intended purpose, if its shortcomings limit a desire to carry out pointless overtakes, racing to red lights, futile lane darting and all the rest of the let's make driving as stressful and impossible as we can bollocks that every twat and his dog gets up to these days then maybe cocking off to Butlins on a train would be a better option. Camper van priority is that you get there, fuck how long it takes, and fuck the impatient tossers stuck behind you, if you were in your car they'd be holding you up.

[jonathan_dyane]

Too true; the parents have a 306D (the Hanomag one) and they have toured the continent extensively in it. As father is given to remark; they always have a clear road ahead of them...

[Guest]

Barry do you get any salvage caravans in? Or know if they are worth bothering with?

Mrs DodgeRover wants to upgrade from our ageing Eldiss to something with fixed bunks.

Apparently I am forbidden from buying anything with chrome or ali panels showing so a elderly Vickers or Buccaneer are right out, ditto a modern Hobby just because we don't need grief rocking up in one to a site we've not stayed at before.

 

Even newish vans we have looked at need work so I might as well go in eyes open for something that needs repairing.

We get the odd older trade in, which goes straight to the local erm... Irish caravan purchaser..  We now damp check ALL vans before offering a trade in price as we have been caught out too many times. We repair the damp ones during the quiet times in winter, which can be a huge job... that's a 2012 van in the pic, and they ALL have damp in the same place. There has been a good few this year needing complete rear panels due to cracking at 2-3 years old and complete front panels due to cracking where the gas locker lid is screwed on. Another manufacturer has issues with the body pulling out from the floor, which writes them off. Some of the finishing makes BL in the '70's look like Lexus.. you really would think twice about using the timber to stir paint. The vans we sell have just been taken over by Hymer, so I think quality will be on the up and up.

 

Give me an Adria anyday.

 

[DodgeRover]

Have you considered Dodge 50s instead of a merc, later Renault badged ones got the Perkins Phaser engine, the earlier ones got a petrol or a 6247 Perkins.

Dead simple, easy to weld, reasonable parts availability

[paulplom]

A 280 is 2.8tonne isn't it?

Usually a 1t payload, so the van would be 1.8t

[spike60]

Are there any Dodge 50 motorhomes for sale in comparable condition to the Merc in the first post? The only vans I ever saw were council ones 20 years ago, never seen a camper outside a peace camp. You have to work with what's realistic and available.

Des says what I meant by getting the right head on with an old camper, if it's a noisy 3 hour motorway slog to the ferry make it a 6 hour meander up the coast to the ferry. If you want speed buy a motorbike and a tent.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

None of the campers mentioned could be worse than when I towed our caravan with a P2 Volvo V70 pez 140bhp. Could barely pull itself up the road never mind the caravan.....

 

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[DodgeRover]

We get the odd older trade in, which goes straight to the local erm... Irish caravan purchaser.. We now damp check ALL vans before offering a trade in price as we have been caught out too many times. We repair the damp ones during the quiet times in winter, which can be a huge job... that's a 2012 van in the pic, and they ALL have damp in the same place. There has been a good few this year needing complete rear panels due to cracking at 2-3 years old and complete front panels due to cracking where the gas locker lid is screwed on. Another manufacturer has issues with the body pulling out from the floor, which writes them off. Some of the finishing makes BL in the '70's look like Lexus.. you really would think twice about using the timber to stir paint. The vans we sell have just been taken over by Hymer, so I think quality will be on the up and up.

 

Give me an Adria anyday.

 

IMG_20171013_102735878.jpg

Which is the one that separates from the floor? I know Bailey has had all sorts of issues with vans leaking from new.

[brownnova]

I can't recommend camper-vanning enough. It's awesome. Our Ducato is one if the best purchases we made, it's a van derived one, but many coachbuilts available too.

 

 

I know a few people with these vans and we are all very complimentary about them, but slow and thirsty are two facts about these or any older van methinks. So worth considering as well as a Merc?

[spike60]

Is the Fiat the same van as Citroen or Pug? Very popular as a camper if it's what I'm thinking of.

[Guest]

Which is the one that separates from the floor? I know Bailey has had all sorts of issues with vans leaking from new.

Lunar.

 

They can all leak though- Bailey have a weird construction all bolted together, Elddis are all bonded. They still leak, and mostly not because of they way they are constucted,more the way they are put toghether.

[Talbot]

Is the Fiat the same van as Citroen or Pug? Very popular as a camper if it's what I'm thinking of.

Bodywise, yes.  Engines in the Fiat badged variant are fiat 1.9 or 2.5 Diesels.  Citroen or Pug (Talbot in the uk) use the XUD1.9 non-turbo, U25 2.5 non-turbo or (rarer) U25 Turbo-diesel.  The XUD installation is particularly interesting as it uses a lean-forward arrangement rather than a lean-backwards as used in all other applications.  Consequently the head has a few extra drillings for oil drainback, and the sump and oil pump are a different shape and arrangement.  It is possible to swap these bits over to an XUD turbo engine and fit that.. I have seen a couple done and was going to do the same myself once.

 

None of them are fast, but they do have the benefit of being FWD, which means they are both lighter, and the rear floor is lower than the equivalent Transvestite/Berk/Sprinter etc.  The other odd rarity is PAS.  Most of them are non-assist, which is fairly hard work when parking etc.  They genuinely are 5 turns lock-to-lock and are a bit of a handful on tight roundabouts.  There are a couple of firms that do electric PAS conversions for these at £eyewatering, or there are a few home conversions around.  Gear linkages are absolutely awful on RHD versions (LHD has a column change for maximum brilliance) but there is a company that do a re-engineered selector unit for them for not many ££s.  

 

I ran a Citroen C25 LWB High-Top for many years, and they are a laugh, easy enough to drive and not as terrible on fuel as you might expect.  Mine was 2.5 non-turbo (the most common engine, similar to a Citroen CX diesel) and I used to get 32MPG on an unladen run, or high 20's if towing and laden.  I worked my van quite hard, but it never had a FTP, or caused me any massive concern other than rust.  Of which there was plenty, and that's what killed it.

[DodgeRover]

Lunar.

 

They can all leak though- Bailey have a weird construction all bolted together, Elddis are all bonded. They still leak, and mostly not because of they way they are constucted,more the way they are put toghether.

We found that with a 70s Monza my parents bought new, when I took it apart in the 90s to reseal it several of the panels had been cut short so there were gaps behind the awning rails just sealed with putty mind it never leaked again after it was done.

Our current Elddis is the same, panels cut too short for effective overlap and sealing, poor internal fit out etc, they aren't things that have happened over time they were like that when new which is dissapointing really.

[Guest]

Still happening Dodge, Lots of the issues could be sorted bt spending an extra 10 mins in the factory finessing things... The motorhomes are no different.

[Eddie Honda]

a 306D (the Hanomag one)

When I had a 207D, I eventually came across a 206D out in the wild - I then realised how lucky I was.

[brownnova]

Bodywise, yes. Engines in the Fiat badged variant are fiat 1.9 or 2.5 Diesels. Citroen or Pug (Talbot in the uk) use the XUD1.9 non-turbo, U25 2.5 non-turbo or (rarer) U25 Turbo-diesel.

I believe that the petrol engine (Of which ours is one) was shared accros all three variants.

 

Apparently the petrol engine is a bit more robust overall... but maybe that's internet facts...

[Royale80]

Thanks for all the advice.

 

I need a fairly largish one as we have three dogs as well-I'll also get one of those awnings that go on the side,

 

Had a look in a motorhome dealers yesterday in Tonyrefail (Stowfords)-mainly to see what different layouts there were.

 

Prices!!! Flipping eck-£24000 was about the cheapest for an 11/12 year old-and that wasn't in the best of conditions.

 

I'll keep looking and reporting back!

 

Regards

 

Steve

[Talbot]

I believe that the petrol engine (Of which ours is one) was shared accros all three variants.

 

Apparently the petrol engine is a bit more robust overall... but maybe that's internet facts...

 

The petrol engine in Citroen and Peugeot/Talbot variants was (IIRC) a derivative of an old Peugeot 505 engine, in 1.8 or 2.0 flavours, and although robust, were not overly reliable (Points, distributor, carburettor.. everything to go wrong although easily fixable) and pretty awful on fuel.  What petrol engine was in the Fiat versions I am not sure.  Given that Fiat insisted on their own Diesels, it may well be a Fiat engine.  I know the (very rare) Alfa Romeo version of this van (!) had an alfa engine in it, not a fiat or PSA one.

 

The U25 Diesel in Cit/Pug versions is probably the most robust of all of the engines fitted.  It's a 1970's pushrod design and very reliable.  The first one of these vans I had (a Talbot Express 1300kg SWB low-roof model) also had the U25.  It had been completely neglected, the oil was like bitumen, the head gasket had been blown for about 3 years, and it had been driven to the moon.   I did the head gasket on it (very simple arrangement) and changed the oil and coolant, all for less than about £50.  Ran beautifully after that!

[chodweaver]

Motorhomes do 'hold their value' - even if they have been hideously neglected and leak like sieves, car dealers still put them at the back of the forecourt with ridiculous prices on them. I've bought privately twice and not felt like I've been burnt either time. Plus private sellers seem compelled to give you free ramps, generators, empty gas bottles, awnings and pup tents as they 'go with the old girl'. If you keep using it, chances are you'll get your money back on selling. If you improve it... (be careful of flights of fancy here though, not everyone wants wild colour schemes or weirdly constructed timber jacuzzis in their next motorhome), you can even sell it for a bit more. As said above, damp, leaks, damp, rust and more damp. That's what you need to watch out for. They're all heavy, thirsty and slow. Except the very new ones that you have to shell out 30k+ for. If you're budget is 5k, put up with slow and thirsty but try for one that you can make reliable and has an engine noise you like. I love the 6pot in my LT. Also be aware that you may be able to free up some more horses with new fuel filters and a tank clean, as so many sit for 11 months of every year, growing mould and rust in the tank. My LT was collected by Mrs CW who complained bitterly about its inability to maintain 35 on the hills on the A34 in Hampshire. The throttle cable had slipped off its adjuster and was only giving 1/3 its travel... we hadn't spotted this test driving it only on urban roads.

 

Did I mention about damp? And leaks? Make sure you don't have a cold when viewing - interiors might look fine, but musty or mouldy smells don't show up on eBay pics.

 

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